In This Week’s Show, episode 225 we join a cult to snap some Gingers but don’t worry, they don’t have souls or feelings like real people…

Now, grab a beer and help us test the god hypothesis — because, while Urika, Terry Pratchett’s Goddess of Snow, Saunas and Theatrical Performances for Fewer than 120 Peoplehasn’t struck us down yet, we are trying her patience!

Shea’s Life Lesson

This week I learned that Adulthood was invented in 1410 by Peter J Adult when he realized that his whole body hurt but he still had to be alive for a while.

Jenn’s Actual Lesson

She is dead… I think. All I know is it’s not our fault. Could be measles…?

This Week’s Show

The Drunk Dial receiving sms messages has gone well, thanks for not making us regret that. Also, yes, there can be only one and I’m pretty sure Jesus is no Highlander.

Also we got some txt messages from offended cow lover Craig Defarmer

Also-also, as a reminder, we’ve seen a number of folks sign up for patreon and their cards either have never been charged or have been declining recently. We’re not sure if this is part of Patreon’s new Patron Relationship tool or whatever, but it’s probably a good time to check your cards, donation levels, etc.

Also, Lorraine, your stuff is edited and on the way, I’m sorry I suck.

Headlines Hotshots

New hope for the French fencing federation. In a bid to appeal to younger generations the FFF has recognized lightsaber dueling as an official sport. In the past movies like Zorro and Robin hood have increased interest in the sport of fencing, hoping to keep this trend going and increase interest in the sport, star wars lightsaber battles are now sanctioned in France.

The new sport of lightsaber dueling has additional rules designed to improve its aesthetic appeal. For example, the point of the lightsaber needs to reach behind each fighter before they attempt a hit. The intention is to make fights consist of large sweeping motions rather than the quick stabs of the blade you see in other forms of fencing. Much like fencing points are awarded depending on where the blade makes contact (hitting the head or body gets you five points, arms or legs gets you three, and hands gets you just one), and the first person to 15 points wins. If the match isn’t over after three minutes, then the person with the highest score automatically wins.

And because magnetically-contained plasma swords are still out of our reach combatants to use an illuminated “blade” made of polycarbonate and fight in a darkened arena.

“With young people today, it’s a real public health issue,” Serge Aubailly, the federation’s secretary general, told the Associated Press. “It’s becoming difficult to [persuade them to] do a sport that has no connection with getting out of the sofa and playing with one’s thumbs. That is why we are trying to create a bond between our discipline and modern technologies, so participating in a sport feels natural.”

The International Fencing Federation, the sport’s worldwide governing body, is keeping an eye on “how this new event progresses,” an official told the AP. “We are always watching new trends in swordplay,” the official said, “and we are interested in observing the development and adoption of it in the French Fencing Federation.”

So fingers crossed we can see it here soon, or maybe the next Olympics!

Well, It’s Something

At least the stupids aren’t getting ad revenue… mostly.

I mean, shea does mention http://patreon.com/w4w, but only because that’s were you can hear this headline now!

in the wake of our previous stories about vaccination, things are getting a little better… or a lot worse, it kind of depends on where you look. Arizona, for example, despite a measles outbreak is extending their religious exemption for anti-vaxxers, because fuck your health, that’s why. Whereas on the internet things are moving a … slightly… more responsible direction. While Facebook is waving the tread off of the old “it’s a technical hurdle” excuse Pinterest went ahead and did something about it. Unable to programmatically separate horseshit from real medical advice – that, btw, you shouldn’t get from a fucking social network – they just said fuck it and have banned all pinning of vaccine-related content. While not ideal it is a solution to the spreading of horsehit on their platform, so cheers. Unfortunately, Alphabet is being a little less responsible on its other platform, youTube. Once a promising new horizon for sharing content and citizen reporting YouTube is now a cesspool full of Nazis, conspiracy theorists, and naturally, anti-vaxxers. While direct searches in Youtube tend to return verified information sources, recent studies have been done on the “Up Next” filtering and it seems that regardless of who you are or what you’re looking for, you’re never more than 6-ish clicks away from lizard aliens taking over the flat earth with mind-controlling vaccinations and chemtrails. While YouTube has policies against this kind of blatant bullshit – and will remind anyone with a mic in their hand of them – actual implementation has been… problematic. Creators have seen content removed or at least de-funded based on keywords (regardless of stance), random ass complaints, and outrage culture – in this case, it’s largely the Jordan B. Peterson crowd who seem to think the 1st Amendment entitles them to private companies tools… but not like, feminists or whatever. In response to the problem youTube as promised to remove advertising from anti-vax videos undercutting the reason a number of popular purveyors of hostshit use the platform. The anti-vax community is, of course, scream censorship because they don’t know how words work. In the end, we’ll have to see how this goes. My money is on YouTube’s AI defunding a ton of valid content, ignoring dangerous internet medical advice, and them somehow making an excuse for the Holocaust. Also, no word yet on what, if anything, they’re doing about YouTube Kids videos with suicide instructions spliced into the middle of them… yeah, that’s a thing that’s happening.

Jenn mentioned that the last line was a hoax, something about a bird-face person with big eyes called Momo. This is not that…

Okay, I know that you all immediately thought about pot laws when you heard that teaser, but I’m not talking about the mary janes today. This story is about how Colorado is poised to become the 9th state that requires consent to be taught in sex education classes.

Currently, HB19-1032, Comprehensive Human Sexuality Education bill, has passed the Colorado house and is headed to their senate. This bill, while still not mandating that sex education be taught in all Colorado schools, does require that those who do teach it, use actual information and not superstition, religion, or any other non-scientific criteria including abstinence-only “education”. Basically, if you teach sex ed in your school, you will follow this curriculum and not just whatever the fuck you may happen to think.

I love this quote from Susan Lontine who introduced the bill in the CO house, who said, “I’d rather they just don’t teach anything if they can’t be honest.” Continuing, “The sooner we talk to kids about what consent looks like,” Ms. Lontine said, “the sooner I hope a tide will turn so we’re no longer hearing stories of people being harmed.”

Unsurprisingly, hundreds of people attended the 10-hour debate on the bill, where opponents did the usual bigoted, ignorant, religious song and dance, including accusing a Democratic lawmaker of being a pedophile and claiming that this bill would allow teaching explicit sex acts to small children. Many objected to lessons regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people as if not talking about real things in the world make them less real.

The good news is that it seems that the younger generation prefers to know real things and several teenagers spoke about how they need to be taught the truth about sexuality and not the bullshit that is so common in especially the more conservative parts of the country. Consent is not a loose and indefinable term. It has a meaning that needs to be universally understood and programs like this are a strong step in the right direction. Let’s hope this passes.

This Week’s Stories

Shea’s shower thoughts notwithstanding some of our species best ideas have come to us in the bathroom… Unfortunately, this isn’t one of those stories.

Serge Benhayon, used to be a tennis coach. Then, one fateful day, he took a dump. “I just gave myself a time to sit and feel that moment and I could feel something really, really beautiful.” Naturally, it was the voice of god and, perhaps the world’s most successful toilet-cult was founded.

“Universal Medicine” as he calls it, is a cult in New South Wales Au. The NSW Supreme Court found it was substantially true to say that he leads a “socially harmful cult” who rips off followers and destroys families, “intentionally indecently touched” clients as young as 10, and “is a charlatan who makes fraudulent medical claims” like being able to cure cancer – a desperate group he specifically targets.

But how? Well, to the tune of roughly 2 mil a year he’ll sell you “esoteric breast massage,” “esoteric healing,” “ovarian readings,” “chakra-puncture,” “esoteric connective tissue therapy” and “esoteric ovary massage.” What I don’t know is how he massages your ovaries… but we’ve got a pretty good idea about the breast massage… also, it prevents breast cancer by “rekindling femaleness” and claims to heal “to heal many issues such as painful periods, polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, bloating/water retention, and premenstrual and menopausal symptoms.” Folks in the cancer industry say it’s all horseshit despite the fact that he knows “the breasts are emanators of a quality of DIVINE TRUTH that begins at the heart. The heart in connection to the pubic bone chakra, which is aligned to the ovaries, brings the emanation of nurturing out for all to have.”

His followers call his doctrine “The Way of the Livingness,” which sounds like they did the SEO first and the product second, but whatever. Followers, collectively called “the student body” also refer to Serge as the “Claimed Son of God,” which, I mean… he’s certainly making some claims, or “the descended master” or “new Messiah” for short. Which is a nice set of names for a guy who was “sent from Shambhala to awaken us all,” and for those who would doubt his “living wisdom” just know that you’re fucking with the reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci, Pythagoras, Imhotep, Saint Peter, and 18th century nutcase often credited with inventing modern western esotericism, Theosophist Alice A. Bailey. So there.

His teachings, which will totally make you feel better to revolve around two energies: prana, Sanskrit for life force and a great way to sell shit to new-age hippies, and fire, which is better than prana because it comes from the “Atmic womb of God” – and yes, that’s Atmic, not atomic, despite that being a much cooler sounding movie. He also teaches that if you abuse power – remember this bit – you’ll be reborn with “as [children] are Down syndrome, as are spastic,(sic) or any other disabled child,” also sexual abuse toward kids happens because of karma because he sucks. Also, germs are evil spirits. Finally, if you don’t donate to UM your kids “kidney energy” will be harmed in their next lives.

During a sermon in September 2017, Benhayon boasted he could orgasm “as a hermaphrodite” (sic). And no, there’s no context for that, he just said it.

So, what’s the latest? Well, he’s been sued a few times but that hasn’t stopped him launching a UK branch called “the lighthouse” which is run by his daughter. Both UK and Au national health and regulatory divisions have had plenty to challenge him on. He’s also sued a number of bloggers and reporters etc who talk about him because like most religious groups airing their dirty laundry is wow bad for them. Oh, and he uses a “reputation management” company to try to reduce the internet’s bad news… so far, it hasn’t worked well.

Second Half

A few weeks back I did a second half on Japan’s treatment of their trans community – which is, to summarize, impressively shitty. While they have worked surgery into the federally covered health insurance, it is required along with a host of other things including sterilization to get one’s ID updated. Following that discussion, we talked a bit about sexism and again I got my hackles all up. Fast forward and listener, a friend of the show, and host of the Ginger Snaps Amy offered to join us – which 4 More Beers live viewers will know we jumped at. So, without further ado, welcome to Amy and co-host William to wrathful studios! Are you ready to take three straight, cis, middle class, white men to queer-school? We asked Jim about back to school supplies and all he gave us are these chaps and bucket of lube… so… we’re ready?..

Faith In Humanity Restored

Some good… decent anyway news out of Kansas. Christel Highland posted an open letter asking why state Representative Ron Highland would, “openly attempt at policy that elevates hate and hurts my family or friends.”

Continuing, “Your most sacred job as an elected official is to serve and protect people,” she wrote. “Your God did not elect you, living, breathing humans beings did. Further isolating the marginalized among the population you serve is far from your duty.

“Hate has no place in public policy. I respectfully request an apology on behalf on my family and beloved friends that this cruel attempt at legislation impacts – viable or not – and I beg that you show yourself to be the honorable man I’ve always known you to be,” she continued. “Ultimately, what is right can never be something that hurts another. You taught me that.”

After this public dressing down by his own daughter for backing House Bill 2320, which characterizes same-sex marriages as “parody marriages,” which it defines as “any form of alleged marriage that does not involve a man and a woman.” Representative Ron Highland, duly reprimanded, made a public apology for the position he’d taken saying, “The bill that I should not have signed on to cosponsor contained some hateful language which I do not condone, and it is against our Lord’s command to love our neighbors.”

So okay. He’s a douchey fuck forever backing that bill in the first place, but much less of a fucknut for allowing his intelligent daughter to change his mind and telling the world as much. Gives me hope and that’s what this segment is for, isn’t it?

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